Paramount's Zamboni Middle School named a model of success for California

PARAMOUNT - Paramount Unified's Frank J. Zamboni Middle School has been named by the California Department of Education as one of 12 "Schools to Watch" in 2013, officials announced this week.

Zamboni, 15733 Orange Ave. in Paramount, was the only urban school and only school in Los Angeles County to make the list this year.

In its Schools to Watch program, the California Department of Education each year honors 12 high-performing middle schools that serve as models for academic success.

Zamboni was largely recognized for its efforts to close the achievement gap. The school is located in a low-income neighborhood just north of Long Beach and the majority of its 900 students are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Despite a challenging demographic, Zamboni in recent years has shown significant gains on the state's Academic Performance Index (API).

The annual API is based on a collection of standardized tests designed to measure a school's performance and improvement. Schools and districts are each given an API score ranging from 200 to 1,000, with 800 being the performance goal.

Zamboni's API has grown from 647 in 2006 to 807 in 2012, surpassing the statewide target.

Students classified as English learners scored an API of 789 in 2012, up 27 points from the previous year, while students classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged scored at 805, up from 799 the previous year.

"The staff has focused on poverty issues facing their students as part of their concern for the whole child," noted the Education Department.

Zamboni ranks a 10 out of 10 when compared to other schools with similar demographics.

In order to be named a "School to Watch" model middle school, the school's administrators must evaluate the school and complete an extensive narrative application. Each site is then reviewed by a team of experts in middle school curriculum. In order to retain the designation, each school is re-evaluated every three years.

For more information about the Schools to Watch model school program, go to www.cde.ca.gov.